Biomimetic Energy Absorptive Smart Armor

In this Phase I SBIR program Infoscitex is proposing to develop a biomimetic energy absorptive smart armor system to protect our troops and their light armor vehicles against both conventional and unconventional explosion threats. Our approach involves designing and fabricating a variable modulus ceramic face plate in which coupled piezoelectric ceramics and electroactive polymers enable an immediate highly energy absorptive shape change that also redirects energy laterally along the surface of the armor from an impinging blast wave. During the program IST will design, fabricate and test the hybrid smart material face plate armor to determine the best combination of response time, energy absorption and manufacturability. IST will build a small test demonstrator to show how the response time and structural properties change after a simulated blast wave. In the Option, IST will further develop the technology to increase energy absorption and decrease response time. An investigation of the scale up steps required from a manufacturability perspective will also be undertaken with our commercial armor team partner. During a follow on Phase II program, IST will work with its commercial armor partner to scale up the smart armor fabrication process and integrate it with our partner’s proprietary attachment technology.